Recent posts on business strategy

In her latest report review, Kathee Rebernak notes that the AP Moller-Maersk 2012 sustainability report makes a good case for integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into business strategy and operations. The report details the company’s business strategy, the ESG factors that impact its business, and the impacts of its heavily fossil-fuel reliant operations. The discussion of Maersk’s effort to combat corruption and workplace injuries are refreshingly honest and present a stark picture of the difficulties of operating in some developing countries. Such frankness does not, however, extend to the discussion of the impacts of Maersk’s oil and gas business.

In the previous segment of our materiality blog series, we analyzed GRI reporting criteria to determine whether materiality analysis is truly an integral component of a report based on the GRI G3 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. We found that while the language in the GRI Guidelines strongly encourages the use of materiality, there is no formal requirement for companies to follow any particular analysis process.

Extending our inquiry, we reached out to sustainability professionals at companies currently using the GRI Guidelines—hoping to better understand the perceived role of materiality analysis within corporations themselves.

A powerful tool

In speaking with best-practice leaders, including representatives from Timberland, EMC, and Intel, we posed the following questions:

Have you conducted a materiality analysis within your company? If so, how?
Do you believe that materiality analysis has… More >

Welcome to Framework:CR’s five-part blog series on materiality analysis! In this series, we’ll explore

what is materiality analysis,
how it can help companies establish a sustainable business strategy and a solid foundation for reporting,
how you can shape materiality guidance currently being developed by the Global Reporting Initiative (Hurry! The comment period ends September 22, 2010!)
why stakeholder input is an essential component of materiality analysis, and
how you can kick off a materiality analysis process at your company.

In the first installment of our five-part series, we discuss what a materiality analysis is and how it informs the development of sustainable business strategy.

Many companies seeking to establish a sustainable business model quickly realize that the path to a… More >

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